Green motion gains ground

Brockville Coun. Cameron Wales introduces his original motion declaring a healthy environment to be a right at council's planning and operations committee meeting on Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2019.Ronald Zajac / Ronald Zajac/The Recorder and Times

It was second time lucky for Coun. Cameron Wales in his attempt to persuade council colleagues to endorse his pro-environment declaration.

Members of the planning and operations committee this week unanimously adopted a revised version of Wales’s motion committing the city to consider the environment when making decisions.

A month earlier, city council had rejected Wales’s “right-to-healthy-environment” principles after a debate over the wording of his motion. Wales filed off the rough edges of his declaration enough to allow the committee members to endorse it this week.

The revised motion heads to the full council for a final vote on Tuesday.

Wales had help from Dr. Paula Stewart, medical officer of health for Leeds, Grenville and Lanark, who expressed her enthusiasm for the idea.

Speaking to the committee, Stewart said the pro-environment sentiments were old hat for Brockville. In 2016, the former council pledged itself pro-green in applying for “healthy community” status, she said.

“The former council has already made a large step forward that supports the declaration that Coun. Wales is suggesting,” Stewart said.

Motions similar to the one proposed by Wales are being passed by municipalities across Ontario and Canada, so “you’re not alone,” she said.

Stewart also pledged that the health unit would help the city in meeting the goals in the declaration.

Wales’s resolution is a statement of motherhood principles that commit the city to supporting a healthy environment.

For example, it declares that residents and visitors “should be able to” breathe clean air, drink clean water, eat safe and healthy food, have access to nature, know about pollution and “participate in decision-making that will affect the environment.”

The motion commits city officials to report back by Nov. 26 on ways that Brockville can support the objectives in the declaration.

Stewart said the city is already on the right track. She noted there are water-bottle-filling stations across the city, including in many schools. Community gardens get people raising their own vegetables, which also contributes to good mental health, she said. And the Brock Trail encourages fitness and a connection to nature.

Wales said his motion is important because it would keep environment issues “top of mind” among city staff and council.

During the previous debate, council supported the spirit of the resolution but councillors had reservations with some of the language, Wales said.

He added the rewritten motion addresses those concerns, including that it be a made-in-Brockville policy.